Powdery slopes draw skiers to Waterman despite obstacles including road closure

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Although Mt. Waterman was closed because the ski patrol did not make it, Esther Kim hiked about one hour to get about a two-minute snowboard ride down the mountain, in the Angeles National Forest on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. The ski patrol, according to owner Rick Metcalf, did not make it to the resort because of road closures. Conditions, according to Metcalf and some of the skiers, were the best theyÕve seen in years with about 3-4 feet of base and some eight inches of powder. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Skiers head up to the Mt. Waterman ski lift only to find out the resort was closed because the ski patrol did not make it, in the Angeles National Forest on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. The ski patrol, according to owner Rick Metcalf, did not make it to the resort because of road closures. Conditions, according to Metcalf and some of the skiers, were the best theyÕve seen in years with about 3-4 feet of base and some eight inches of powder. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Although Mt. Waterman was closed because the ski patrol did not make it, Alexa Ihrt, 46 of Glendale, hiked about 1 hour to get about a two-minute ride ride down the mountain, in the Angeles National Forest on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. The ski patrol, according to owner Rick Metcalf, did not make it to the resort because of road closures. Conditions, according to Metcalf and some of the skiers, were the best theyÕve seen in years with about 3-4 feet of base and some eight inches of powder. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Although Mt. Waterman was closed because the ski patrol did not make it, skiers hiked about 1 hour to get about a two-minute ride down the mountain, in the Angeles National Forest on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. The ski patrol, according to owner Rick Metcalf, did not make it to the resort because of road closures. Conditions, according to Metcalf and some of the skiers, were the best theyÕve seen in years with about 3-4 feet of base and some eight inches of powder. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Mt. Waterman co-owner Rick Metcalf comes down mountain to the parking lot after waiting about half a day for the ski patrol at Mt. Waterman, in the Angeles National Forest on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. The ski patrol, according to owner Rick Metcalf, did not make it to the resort because of road closures. Conditions, according to Metcalf and some of the skiers, were the best theyÕve seen in years with about 3-4 feet of base and some eight inches of powder. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Although Mt. Waterman was closed because the ski patrol did not make it, Thibault Dargeou, 37 of Santa Monica, hiked about 1 hour to get about a two-minute snowboard ride down the mountain, in the Angeles National Forest on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. The ski patrol, according to owner Rick Metcalf, did not make it to the resort because of road closures. Conditions, according to Metcalf and some of the skiers, were the best theyÕve seen in years with about 3-4 feet of base and some eight inches of powder. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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A skier who came up to Mt. Waterman only to find out the resort was closed because the ski patrol did not make it was not happy in the Angeles National Forest on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. The ski patrol, according to owner Rick Metcalf, did not make it to the resort because of road closures. Conditions, according to Metcalf and some of the skiers, were the best theyÕve seen in years with about 3-4 feet of base and some eight inches of powder. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Although Mt. Waterman was closed because the ski patrol did not make it, skiers hiked about one hour to get about a two-minute ride down the mountain, in the Angeles National Forest on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. The ski patrol, according to owner Rick Metcalf, did not make it to the resort because of road closures. Conditions, according to Metcalf and some of the skiers, were the best theyÕve seen in years with about 3-4 feet of base and some eight inches of powder. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Frozen sign at the 6,000-ft. level heading towards Mt. Waterman, in the Angeles National Forest on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Mt. Waterman remained closed as employees head back down the mountain after waiting half a day for the ski patrol, and skiers hiked about one hour to get about a two-minute ride down the mountain, in the Angeles National Forest on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. The ski patrol, according to owner Rick Metcalf, did not make it to the resort because of road closures. Conditions, according to Metcalf and some of the skiers, were the best theyÕve seen in years with about 3-4 feet of base and some eight inches of powder. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Although Mt. Waterman was closed because the ski patrol did not make it, Micala Thompson of Los Angeles hiked about one hour to get about a two-minute ride down the mountain, in the Angeles National Forest on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. The ski patrol, according to owner Rick Metcalf, did not make it to the resort because of road closures. Conditions, according to Metcalf and some of the skiers, were the best theyÕve seen in years with about 3-4 feet of base and some eight inches of powder. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Although Mt. Waterman was closed because the ski patrol did not make it, skiers hiked about one hour to get about a two-minute snowboard ride down the mountain, in the Angeles National Forest on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. The ski patrol, according to owner Rick Metcalf, did not make it to the resort because of road closures. Conditions, according to Metcalf and some of the skiers, were the best theyÕve seen in years with about 3-4 feet of base and some eight inches of powder. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Although Mt. Waterman was closed because the ski patrol did not make it, Ward Christiansen of La CaÃ±ada Flintridge and his wife Ann hiked about one hour to get about a two-minute ride ride down the mountain, in the Angeles National Forest on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. The ski patrol, according to owner Rick Metcalf, did not make it to the resort because of road closures. Conditions, according to Metcalf and some of the skiers, were the best theyÕve seen in years with about 3-4 feet of base and some eight inches of powder. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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About three-dozen vehicles line the parking lot at Mt. Waterman, which was closed because the ski patrol did not make it, in the Angeles National Forest on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. The ski patrol, according to owner Rick Metcalf, did not make it to the resort because of road closures. Conditions, according to Metcalf and some of the skiers, were the best theyÕve seen in years with about 3-4 feet of base and some eight inches of powder. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

By Raul Roa

Feb. 20, 2019 7 PM PT

Icy roads, detours and the lack of ski patrol services did not keep skiers from enjoying powder conditions in the Angeles National Forest above La Cañada on Presidents Day.

After waiting weeks to open, Mt. Waterman Ski Resort on Angeles Crest Highway prepared to welcome hundreds of skiers who made the hour-plus drive past road detours and snow-covered roads only to learn the ski patrol did not make it to the resort due to of road closures.

A detour via Angeles Forest Highway and Upper Big Tujunga Canyon Road guided visitors away from a landslide on Angeles Crest a few miles east of Mt. Wilson Road. Icy conditions were present in many spots on the roads. But even under those circumstances, determined skiers and snowboarders made the trip up the mountain to enjoy a day in the snow.

Mt. Waterman resort co-owner Rick Metcalf noted it was a perfectly beautiful day, but “the ski patrol is not allowed to go past the road closure to get up here.” With no ski patrol on hand, he said, “we could not open for the public.”

Not being able to buy a ticket and use the chair lift did not deter many of those who arrived for what was supposed to be the official season opener.

Ward Christensen of La Cañada Flintridge, who has skied at Mt. Waterman since the 1960s, said “trying to get up here was a fun adventure. The road was a little sketchy, but … once we got here the only thing missing was ski patrol. They couldn’t put us all on the lift, so we gave up and decided to climb the mountain ourselves.”

He added that after an hour of climbing, he and his wife, Ann, made it to the top. “We skied one beautiful run on about 3 feet of hard pack with 8 inches of fresh tracks on top. Had lots of turns without crossing anybody else tracks.”

Ann Christensen said she’s been skiing for about 30 years, and it’s “the lightest powder” she has seen at the local resort.

Many visitors walked up the mountain with skis or snowboards on their backs.

Esther Kim of Los Angeles was among those. After hiking the mountain, she snowboarded down. She said the powder was “amazing, dry and fluffy, not super deep but rideable, delicious and tasty.”

Metcalf said the public should “come on up next week. It’s going to be a beautiful weekend. There’s going to be fresh powder, and its going to be a lot of fun.”